When Writing is Hard: Written Language Disorders and Dysgraphia

Course description

NUMBER OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HOURS:
45

How we conceptualize writing has important consequences for how we address the needs of children in the classroom. Writing, like reading, is a tool for learning, and children who have difficulty with writing lose an all-too-important vehicle for thinking deeply about the things they learn. This course will focus on what we know about the writing process and the underlining skills that make communication in print possible. We will review the history of the terms, dysgraphia and learning disability in written expression, their status in the law, early signs of risk, and the skill areas that support writing development. We will practice with different tools for screening and progress monitoring. We will examine case studies and discuss the types of instruction and the strategies that support all children to become writers.  Participants will leave this course with an understanding of how writing develops, the root causes of most writing problems, tools for progress monitoring, and areas of support that children require in order to express their thoughts on paper.

Participants will develop the following:

• An understanding of how written expression develops;
• An understanding of why written expression is important for the development of higher-level thinking skills;
• Insight into writing at the sentence, paragraphs, and essay levels;
• Skill in addressing the individual needs of students as they develop the ability to think on paper.

Participants will demonstrate the following skills:

• An understanding of the underlying processes that support the development of written expression;
• A grasp of the different types of written language disorders/dysgraphia;
• Knowledge of the tools that we use to assess risk status and monitor progress;
• Knowledge of the tools that we use to diagnose learning disabilities in written expression;
• Knowledge of strategies that can be used to promote the development of written expression and higher-level thinking skills.

COURSE EXPECTATIONS:

All participants (regardless of taking the class for graduate credit) will:

• Purchase the required materials for this course.
• Attending all class meetings live for their full duration.
• If participants are unable to attend the live session, they may request a recording and coordinate any make-up assignments directly with the course instructor.

DATES AND SUBJECT MATTER:

• Jul. 1: Asynchronous Pre-Class Reading Assessment
• Jul. 14 (Class 1):  Written Language from the Inside and the Outside
• Jul. 16 (Class 2): Expressive Language
• Jul. 21 (Class 3): Handwriting and Spelling
• Jul. 22 (Class 4): Syntax
• Jul. 23 (Class 5): Discourse & Cognition
•  Jul. 28 (Class 6): Tests of Written Language
•  Jul. 30 (Class 7): Putting it All Together
• Aug. 14: Final Asynchronous Project is Due

REQUIRED MATERIALS:

Handwriting Research: Impact on the Brain and Literacy Development. (2012). Columbus, OH: Zaner-Bloser, Inc. This text can be ordered HERE.

Farrall, M. (2012). Reading assessment; Linking language, literacy and cognition. Wiley Press; Hoboken, NJ. ISBN-13: 978-0-470-87393-9. This test can be ordered or rented from Amazon: CLICK HERE

Sedita, J. (2023). The writing rope: A framework for explicit writing instruction. Paul H. Brookes Publishing; Baltimore, MD. ISBN-13 978-1681255897. This text can be ordered from Amazon: CLICK HERE

Other suggested materials will be listed on the syllabus.